Research

Trace Minerals and Migraines

By Dr. Chris Meletis N. D.

An increasingly large amount of disease today may be attributable to deficiencies
in the supply of trace minerals in our diets.1 How
can this be the case when the availability of food in our country is unprecedented,
with a supermarket on every corner? These deficiencies do not stem from a lack
of quantity of food, rather they stem from the quality of food. Trace minerals
can be found mainly in whole, unprocessed foods such as vegetables and fruits.
Unfortunately, the large majority of fruits and vegetables found in supermarkets
today are nutritionally devoid of these minerals, largely in part to the high-yield
farming practices in this and other countries.

The mineral content of food is mainly dependent on the amount of minerals
found in the soil in which it is grown. Current farming practices leave soils
with less than optimal amounts of these minerals, especially the less common
trace minerals. As a result of this, our food supplies leave us at risk for
deficiencies of these very important substances. Because of this situation,
it is essential that every person now supplement their diet with trace minerals
in order to avoid the many diseases that are attributable to this scarcity.
A lack of vital nutrients leaves the body unable to function fully, leaving
it vulnerable to disease.

Trace minerals have numerous roles. Oftentimes, because these minerals are
found in such small quantities in the body, scientists and physicians have
paid little attention to their importance in health and disease prevention.
However, with the advent of improved science and the recognition of the efficacy
of natural medicine, we are beginning to understand how vital these elements
are to our health. Trace minerals, in a sense, are akin to the numerous tiny
nails, nuts, and bolts that hold a house together. At first glance, a home
is made of much more than these items. However, if they are slowly removed
and never replaced, the house will continue to sag and finally fall apart.
So it is the same with the smallest building blocks of our bodies. Trace minerals
are important in the proper functioning of enzyme systems, nerve conduction
and muscle function, assisting with transfer of nourishment into cells, providing
the framework for tissues, and regulation of organ functions. These “behind
the scenes” functions are not possible without a constant, adequate supply
of minerals. Even with the many multivitamin and mineral supplements available,
most of these products fall short because they do not contain large enough
amounts of the trace minerals that are so important to health.

Physicians that specialize in natural medicine are some of the biggest proponents
of trace mineral supplementation. This type of physician is attuned to the
many subtleties of the functions of the human body, and oftentimes addresses
health issues with nutritional therapeutics in an attempt to bring the body’s
health back into balance. This process of balance, also known as homeostasis,
occurs quite wonderfully all by itself, as long as the body has the proper
fuel and building materials. Unfortunately, physicians are seeing more and
more diseases, which can be attributed to the body’s inability to achieve this
balance. This trend towards ill health is directly related to the dearth of
nutritional value in our diets today.

However, practitioners of natural medicine are very excited with the many
dramatic turn-arounds toward health that many of their patients have experienced
with the use of mineral supplementation. A common example of this is the treatment
of migraine headaches with magnesium. Recent statistics suggest that 18 percent
of women and six percent of men suffer from migraine and those numbers are
increasing.2 The Centers for Disease
Control reported a 60-percent increase in the disease from 1980 to 1989.3 Migraine
headaches occur when the blood vessels in the brain spasm and constrict. Soon
after this constriction occurs, the blood vessels then reflexively open, or
dilate. When the vessels become dilated, they occupy more space in the brain,
activating nearby pain receptors. It is speculated that an imbalance of mineral
stores in the body can lead to this spasm of the blood vessels. Many researchers
have suggested magnesium plays an important role in migraine attacks. The activities
of magnesium in the body include preventing blood vessel spasm, inhibiting
blood clotting, and stabilizing cell membranes, all of which are involved in
migraine develoment4. Magnesium
concentration exerts an effect on neurotransmitter production and receptors,
pro-inflammatory molecules, and other migraine-related chemicals in the brain.5 Recent
evidence suggests up to 50 percent of migraine patients have lowered levels
of tissue magnesium during an acute migraine attack.6 Another
study discovered brain magnesium concentrations were 19 percent lower in patients
during migraine attack compared to healthy controls.7 Because
recent research strongly indicates a magnesium deficiency in migraine headaches,
natural medicine practitioners prescribe magnesium along with other trace minerals
as a primary treatment for this condition with great success.

Because of their widespread distribution throughout the metabolic workings
of the human body, trace minerals are integral to the functioning of one of
the body’s largest organ systems, the muscles. Mainly, magnesium plays a large
role in the relaxation of muscles following their contraction. Without this
vital nutrient, it would be impossible for the muscles of the human body to
function. Muscle cramps are prevalent in western society due to lack of intake
of an appropriate amount of minerals. One easy, straightforward cure for muscle
cramping is supplementation with magnesium and other trace minerals, as they
allow the muscles to function smoothly and correctly. The role of magnesium
in relieving cramped muscles also makes it a highly appropriate therapy for
the muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia, a condition that is often treated
successfully by practitioners of natural medicine. These practitioners often
use high doses of magnesium and other trace mineral combinations to reduce
the painful and tender muscles that are so common in fibromyalgia patients.

Another condition that is successfully treated with magnesium and trace minerals
is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. People with this condition often experience profound
muscle aches and weakness. It has been shown that in order for proper muscle
contraction and relaxation to occur, magnesium and calcium need to be present
in proper amounts in the body, which can be difficult to achieve even on a
standard healthy diet. Additionally, magnesium and mineral supplementation
may decrease the pain involved with sports-related injuries and excessive physical
activity. As we use our muscular system, it is slowly depleted of these minerals,
making replacement a top priority. Others signs of magnesium deficiency include
disorientation, depression, tingling, numbness, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms
in addition to muscle spasms and cramps.8,9

A minimum of at least 60 trace minerals has been demonstrated to be vital
to health and well-being.10 This
article has covered only a small fraction of the multitudes of health benefits
of trace minerals. As science and natural medicine continues to uncover the
many roles for all of these trace minerals, doctors are finding exciting solutions
to several maladies that may be successfully treated by replacing these nutrients
in the body. Unless we begin replacing these minerals early on in life, we
put ourselves at risk for the many diseases of mineral deficiency that are
becoming more and more prevalent in society today.